Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-30

LEO XIII.
Leo MIL, His Holiness, the Pope, the
255th Roman Pontiff, is the son of Count
Pecci. He was born at Carpineto, March
,, 1910. In 1878 he was sent to the Jesuit
College at Viterbo. In 1924, upon the
death Of his mother, he was sent to Rome,
living there with his uncle. During this
year be entered the Collegio Romano, and
three years lister took up the study of
mathematics. In 1928 he got the first
premium in physico-chemistry. He next
took up the study Of philosophy, and
during his term at this was entrusted to
teach the pupils not SO far advanced
as he was. At the age of
twenty-one he gained q prize for
8 philosophical essay. He entered the
College of Noble Ecclesiastics and was
made 3 doctor in laws by Pope
Gregory XVI. He received his holy
orders from Cardinal Odescalchi in 1887
In 1843 he was sent, by Gregory, as
NuDcio to Belgium, and In January of
that year was made an archbishop. In
1916 he was made bishop of PerUgia. He
was created Cardinal by Plus X. in the
consistory of December 10, 1858 In Sep
TENDER, 1877, he was selected by Plus to
Ill the important Office of Cardinal Cam
erlengo of the Roman church.
In that capacity he attended to
temporal matters uponLthe death OF Plus
and made preparations for the reception
of tie conclave, which met February Is,
1873. There were siXty-six cardinals
present. On the first scrutiny Pecci had
II votes, on the second 81 and on the
third Al. he was accordingly made Pope.
he assumed the name of Leo XIII. on
March 8. He was crowned in the Sistine
chapel. One of the first acts of his pom
tihcate was the restoration of the liberty
Of Scotland. His sway has been marked
By great mildness and justice.
HALF CENTURY PRIEST.
tBALTIMoRE, MD, Dec. 24.-Following
is the literal translation of the Latin of
the letter sent by the Catholic hierarchy
Of America to Leo XIII, congratulsting
him upon the attainment of his f1ftieth
anniversary of the priesthood. The letter
was presented to the Pope to-day at the
Vatican:
"Most Holy Father: AS the devotion of
Christian people, the dignity Of yourself
and the importance of the deeds done by
you certainly demand, the whole world
now coDgratulates you on the fiftieth
glorious anniversary Of that day when you
received the Christian priesthood. Just
half century hiss elapsed since
you dedicated yourself wholly to God
and solemnly pledged yourself to serve
him in performing the sacred rites of His
temple in furtherlng divine worship.
Nor have you been found wanting in the
fulfllment of your duty or promises. All
are swsre that scarcely were you ad-
mitted to the service OF the altar when
you became model for your fellow citi-
Zens in every virtue. Then. when you
we're honored with the Bishops mitre
nothing wss
NEARER YOUR HEART
than the upholding and extending of the
honor and authority of God and the holy
church by upright lsws and regulations.
Blu: when the provident mind OF your
Predecessor appointed you to aid
IN carrying on the public
business of the churches 1t csn scarcely
De told with what prudence, with what
wisdom and Whist happy success you had
acquitted yourself of your charge, and
when at length you were elevated to that
your divinely conferred Genius, and the
other endowments of your mind have
hidden you, you assuredly proved not
only that the Cardinals who elected
you, but that God Himself in His mercy,
looked TO
THE GOOD OF THE CHURCH
In these evil days. Mindful of what has
been done by your predecessors, and
walking in the footsteps of those
VITO under the same name which
You bear have with so great honor
occupied the ceair of st. Peter, you have;
left nothing uninterrupted to bring back los
the pathway of rectitude both those of
YOUR own flock and those without the.
fold who have strayed from the Christian
truth. Often, indeed, have you fecsiled
to their minds and held strongly s5ef0rt
them in solemn terms the 80
ETERNAL LAW OF GOD,
without the support of which neither the
family nor human society, nor even civil
government itself, can subsist; which
law Though Is is clearer than the sum
light since it was revealed by God and by
the aid OF reason is made
more manifest and better estab-
Hshed,) philosophers wrongly so called
have now for three centuries striven to
remove from their own minds and from
the minds of all nations. This they do
with such inslstence that there are some
even among the Catholics who seem to be
entrspped by the fsliacies and TO be
HURRIED HEADLoEG TO RUIN
oy The onset of this growing error.
Deeply, in truth, we sll rejoiced, most
holy Father, when lately, with such wis
dom and success, you have asserted the
heaVen-born majesty of your see by recon-
eiliating the discordant rulers and peo-
Pies of Europe. Itseems to US that those
happy times had almost returned in
which the Roman Pontif WAS
looked upon as the father of all Princes,
and 81 all nations wh1 glory in the Chris
tan name. In carrying through these
transactions such prudence was mani
Tested by you, such benignity, such love
ct peace and concord that far distant pos
ferity will wonder how, out Of powerful
snemies, you have made friends and al